Just Next Door
by MrsJagielski
Summary: After seeing the one of the people that he loves most in a new light, will Jake act on what he begins to feel for Haley? A Jaley short.
1. Chapter 1

Just Next Door

An OTH Jaley Short

By AlexB

One

"_Ja-giel-ski! Ja-giel-ski!" The crowd around him chanted. He stood at the free throw line. The Ravens were down by two in the forth with seven seconds left on the clock. If he could make these shots, it would tie it and send the game into overtime. It would give them a shot. He could finally win something._

_It got so quiet in the gymnasium that Jake could hear the sweat bead on his forehead. He shot the first free throw. It hit the rim. Bounced left, right, rolled to the back board, and slowly...went in._

_The sound of the crowd was a roaring deafness in his ears. It was so huge; it felt like the ground was shifting around him._

_Jake readied himself to take the next shot, and flinched as a small white ball clipped him; smacking him in the head. He barely got his hands up in time to deflect the next attack._

"_What the...? He slapped another white ball down like a gnat. Dropping the basketball, he slapped down another and another. It earned him a rounding applause of "boo's and hisses." Wiffle balls, that's what they were, and they seemed to be coming from every direction. The crowd was throwing them at him now. His own teammates. His coach._

_Jake couldn't duck them all. He took one to the temple. You would think that a little ball with holes in it wouldn't be able to do much, but the shot knocked him off his feet. Jake fell on his back like a ton of bricks._

_The chanting started again._

"_Ja-giel-ski! Ja-giel-ski!"_

"Jagielski!"

His eyes shot open and he stared blindly at his bedroom ceiling. There was a hollow clicking coming from the direction of his window, which was letting in an ungodly amount of sunlight, even with the blinds closed.

Turning over completely, Jake burrowed deeper into his pillows, willing the sleep that had escaped him to come back. It was a no go. On eye cracked open, and he watched as the shadow, of what could only be a ball, slapped repeatedly on the siding above his window.

He chanced a look at his clock and cursed. His alarm hadn't gone off. He wasn't going to be late; he was going to be super late. And wouldn't everybody just love that.

Rolling out of bed, he pulled on the jeans that he'd worn yesterday and snatched a shirt from the desk chair on his way to the window, sniffing it as he went. Deeming it wearable, Jake pulled it over his head before he raised the blinds and opened his window.

He stuck his head out just as Haley let loose. The hard plastic hit him right between the eyes.

Jake grunted at the shot. She covered her mouth with her hand. Well, Haley thought, she couldn't take it back now, and no way in hell was Jake going to believe that she was sorry if the dared attempt to spit out the words. Why? Because she wasn't. And she hadn't been all the other times she'd clobbered him.

"Come on, Haley." Jake complained.

"Let's go," she called up to him. "You don't want to be late. And I'm your ride."

She was right. He didn't want to be late. Because of a particular player on the team, the whole squad had an 8 a.m. practice. And anyone who was late, or just plain didn't show up, would have hell to pay.

Good 'ol Haley. Always looking out.

His car had finally died on him, and instead of footing it the distance to the school, Haley was borrowing her dad's car to give him a ride. Like he'd said: Always looking out.

The engine was running, and the passenger door was open when Jake finally made it next door. Soon as his butt hit the seat, Haley was pulling out of the driveway.

"I appreciate this, Haley."

She lifted a shoulder in a half shrug. "No problem." She never minded helping friends out. It was what she did. Looking over at him from the corner of her eyes, Haley grinned, then asked. "Late night?"

Jake sighed, nodding. "Jenny's teething." He explained. "Every time I got her to sleep, it never lasted long. At about three in the morning, mom finally came in a took over. I don't get it." He spoke incredulously. "I did exactly what she said to the 'T', and nothing. Mom comes in and it's like…like…magic."

She smiled, laughing softly. "Jenny just needed a mama's touch. No offense." She added. Jake grunted, and Haley smiled again. "Babies are sensitive like that. They can sense when you mean well, but when they want their mama's, or grandma's in your case, they usually get it." When he said nothing to that, she glanced over at him.

His head was laid back against the headrest of the seat. He had fallen asleep on her. Poor baby, she thought. Jake was a high school student/father. And she had been there every step of the way.

When he'd found out that his girlfriend at the time was pregnant, it was she that Jake came to. He'd been scared to death. It was the first time that Haley had seen him cry.

"_This is not happening," he'd sobbed. "What am I gonna do, Haley?"_

She didn't know anymore that he had. So they'd sat there on her back porch and cried together. When they'd gotten it out of their system, she'd suggested that Haley would be an awesome name for a little girl.

When Jenny had been born, Haley had become a godmother. She'd been the first one outside of the baby's family to hold the little girl. She'd cried buckets.

They'd been friends for as long as she could remember. Haley couldn't pinpoint when it had happened, but somewhere along the line, she had fallen in love with the boy next door. And it was because of that love that she didn't stop herself when she reached out to brush a finger across Jake's cheek.

She caught her breath at the brazenness behind the act. Jake didn't budge. He didn't flinch, never moved. He kept right on sleeping. The rest of the ride into town, Haley made sure that she kept her hands to herself.

He was tired all the way down to his bones, and every muscles hurt worse than the one before it. The arms he had braced against the tiles of the shower wall threatened to fail on him.

Half the team was ready to bust the chops of the guy who had gotten them all in to this. Jake included. But he just didn't have the energy. What little brain power he could muster was focused on something else entirely. It was, and he was, focused on Haley.

Was it his imagination, or had she touched him? It couldn't have been real; he had to have been dreaming. Haley didn't see him like that. Did she?

No, they were just friends. She was his best friend. The only one, besides the coach, who knew his secret. She was his daughter's godmother. It couldn't be like that between them. He was a package deal now, and it wouldn't ask Haley to do that. He couldn't put all that on someone else's shoulders.

And although he loved his baby with everything in him, Jake couldn't stop wishing that he was a normal teenage kid with normal teenaged problems. Talk about being scared straight, he thought. He hadn't had sex since he found out that he had gotten someone pregnant.

"You gonna be in there all day, Jagielski?!" Coach Durham's booming voice echoed off the shower walls. Jerking to attention, Jake turned off the water that had gone cold. He barely made it into his own clothes, he was so tired.

Haley was waiting for him in the parking lot when he'd finally finished. She didn't speak when Jake slid, his body boneless, into the seat beside her. They didn't speak the whole way home, and for that, Jake was grateful. He just didn't have the energy to hold up his end of a conversation.

Concentrating on easing himself out of the car when they finally did get home, Jake didn't notice that Haley had followed him up the walk until they got to the door. "Thanks again, Haley." He said over his shoulder as he dug into his pocket for his house key.

She smiled and Jake about fell over. She'd smiled at him before. Many times in fact, but never had they effected him then the way that they did now.

He'd never noticed how gorgeous her smile was. How beautiful she was on the outside as well as on the inside. Her eyes weren't brown; they were amber with gold flecks. And her hair wasn't brown. It wasn't blonde either. It was like a...bronze-gold, or something.

Hell, Jake thought as he washed a hand over his face. He wasn't tired; he was out of his mind exhausted to be waxing poetic about Haley. She was his friend. That was all. Period.

"What would you do without me?" She teased, batting her eyes playfully.

Fall to pieces. "What are you doing?"

She lifted her shoulder in the absentminded way that she did and followed him into the house. Jenny, holding herself up in her playpen, hadn't even looked at him. She saw Haley and her little baby eyes got big as saucers. His girl went nuts. Her little feet stamped in place, and she screeched so loud Jake thought his ears would bleed.

He felt a wave of shame. It wasn't like Jenny never greeted him in the same way. She had what could have been a million times. But every time was like the first time. It galled him that he was seeing green because his baby was doing the same for Haley.

"Wanna come with me?" Haley asked Jenny as she lifted the baby from her self-imposed jail cell. "How 'bout you come hang out with me and the girls?" She went on. "I know mom just made some applesauce."

"Haley, you don't-" His words were cut short by the sound of Haley blowing raspberries in his daughter's neck. Jenny's squealing laughter made Jake smile, then laugh himself.

"It's just for a few hours." She was talking to him, but Haley kept her eyes on Jenny as she made faces. Jenny smiled, twin dimples flashed in her baby cheeks. Looking at him over her shoulder, Haley said, "Promise."

Walking toward girl and baby, Jake nodded. When he held out his hands, Jenny came to him easily and willingly, resting her head on his shoulder. Jake sighed. He knew what Haley was doing, and he was grateful.

Jenny patted Jake's cheeks with both hands, and he in turned kissed her one nose, and every other part of her face that he could reach. It was their game. When he leaned toward Haley, Jenny took that as her cue and went to her. Haley smiled at the little girl, then at Jake. He was looking at her funny. When he kissed her cheek, unbeknownst to him, she closed her eyes and savored it.

"Thank you." He whispered. She could only nod.

He helped her load Jenny's gear. She was only going next door, but even that was still a journey. From the porch he watched them. And it was at that moment, before the James' door closed that Haley looked back at him. Giving him that impish smile that was always on her face, Jake realized that he was in love with the girl next door. And also, that he would rather have her in his life as his friend than not have her in his life at all.


	2. Chapter 2

Just Next Door

An OTH Jaley Short

By AlexB

Two

When his eyes opened again, it was night out.

He'd only managed to get his shoes and his shirt off before he fell into bed, he was so tired. And even now, he was still exhausted. But, more sleep would have to come later. Jake was starving, and he had to check on his baby.

He stumbled part way down the steps and into the living room. His parents were passed out on the couch wrapped around each other under a blanket. The tv played on around them. The glare from the screen bouncing off them.

"Ma, Pop?" His mother's eyes cracked open. "Where's Jenny?" She hadn't been in her bed when Jake checked on her, and she hadn't been in the bassinet in his parent's room. She wasn't in the play pen in the livingroom now. Even still, he didn't panic. Why? Because his parents were sleeping like rocks, and if something had been wrong with his daughter, say...had she been kidnaped, they would have woken him up and told him.

"Still with Haley, babe." Jake's mother mumbled. "Haley said the she would Jenny-girl for the night and let you sleep." There was a smile on her face that Jake had never seen before. "Go check on them, babe."

Jake nodded absently, moving toward the door. He closed it behind him, and his mother laughed a sleepily laugh that shook her shoulders gently. Her husband pulled her closer, there was a smile on his face, too. "Don't think the boy would much appreciate you playing match-maker.

"Just a little push," the woman yawned, burrowing closer. "He loves her. Can't you see it?"

"A blind monkey withe bifocals could see it." They laughed. "I see it." Jake's father said again hoping that his son knew what he was doing. He settled back into the couch to go back to sleep. "Just going to take him a minute to see it, too. If he hasn't already."

"Took a minute for you, too." She smiled rubbing a hand over the man's brawny chest.

"Yeah," he laughed. "But he was worth it." His big hand absent rubbed her shoulder. Jake's mother smiled up into her husband's face. "Damn right."

Jake raised his fist to knock on the James' door, but stopped mid-action when he caught the picture in the window. Haley was lying on the couch. Jenny lay on her chest. They were both sleeping.

His heart caught in his chest before jumping into his throat. Absently, Jake reached for the doorknob forgetting to knock completely. He didn't have anything on his feet, so his footfalls were silent. When he reached them, Jake knelt, rubbing his hand over his daughter head. Jenny stirred, she hated to be messed with then her eyes were closed. Jake managed to quiet her.

"Not bad." Haley's sleep husky voice moved over him. When he looked at her, Haley's eyes were dark. She was waiting. She was waiting for him to do something, anything. So Jake did the first thing to come to mind. The only thing that had been on his mind.

He kissed her. Nothing huge. Okay, it was enormous even for just the brush of lips. Once, twice, three times. Before he could go back for more, Jake stopped himself. He started to pull away, but Haley stopped him. Fisting her hand in his shirt.

What he saw in those amber orbs burned Jake from the tips of his toes to the top of his head. She watched his throat work as he swallowed hard. There was no going back. He knew that. She knew it, too. But Haley wasn't about to go another minute just being Jake Jagielski's friend.

She let go of his shirt. And before he could move, she threaded the fingers of her free hand through his hair and pulled him back to her. Haley kissed Jake with all the pent of emotion she had for him.

He didn't pull away. Didn't stop her. Jake just gave in. He let go. He have her everything he had and then some. His plans had backfired. Staying away wouldn't be possible now. Not after this. Never after this.

They had to stop to breathe, but they didn't move away. His muscles were cramping, but nothing would move him. Everything felt right, right were he was.

So they rested. Catching their breath with their foreheads resting together.

Jake didn't open his eyes, no, not yet. He wanted to savor what he was feeling. He wanted to hold it to him for as long as he could, and hoped to God that he remembered it later. Because this was all that he was going to be able to have once reality crept in.

"Jake?"

When he looked at her, there was question in her eyes. What now? they asked. Jake didn't know. He wished to God that he did.

Her hand touched his face, and again he closed his eyes. "It wasn't a dream." He barely got out.

She shook her head. "No." Haley replied. "Not a dream. I love you, Jake Jagielski." She hadn't meant to say that. Not out loud. But now that the words were out there, she wasn't going to take them back.

"Haley-"

"I love you, Jake, and don't you dare tell me that you don't love me, too."

"I do."

She smiled. "Good."

"But Haley,"

"No buts," she quieted him with a finger to his lips. "Leave it." She said. "At least for now." Her eyes pleaded. Jake nodded, letting it be.

"Only for tonight."

"Stay." She asked. "You and Jenny. Stay with me tonight.

"Okay." They knew their parents wouldn't mind. It was Jake, and he had stayed at Haley's place before. In her room before. Nothing had ever happened.

But that was before he had kissed her. Now Jake wanted a lot of things to happen. But they wouldn't. Not tonight. He was determined that nothing would happen. Nothing but a few kisses, because he really wanted to kiss Haley again, badly. Thank god he had his daughter to back him up.

"Jake!" Haley exclaimed when he picked both her and the baby from the couch. To him, she weighed no more than a feather at the moment. This could very well be his one and only chance, and Jake was going to make the most out of it. He was going to make it count.

Jenny continued to sleep, only stirring when they were lied on the bed. He and Haley lied on either side of her. The room around them had this blue glow effect that came from the moon shining into Haley's open window.

She reached out an arm, again taking Jake by his collar. When she pulled him to her, Jake didn't even try and stop his smile. He like this side of Haley. He liked it a lot.

"You want to kiss me again," she said. "But you're taking your sweet time about it." When he was leaning over her, careful not to scrunch his daughter, their lips barely a breath apart she said, "I think I like coming after you."

"You won't have to come after me anymore tonight. I'm not going anywhere." Haley chose not to comment on that. Not just yet. Not right now. Right now, she wanted to drink this, and him in. She wanted to remember it, and remember it well, because it could very well be a long time before they were together like this again. Haley knew that she had a battle on her hands. And she was going to have to knock some sense into her boy next door.

Their second kiss was just as potent as the first. It was more than enough to get them in trouble if they weren't careful. Lord, the boy knew how to kiss, Haley thought hazily. She was lucky. Real lucky. Her guy was a hottie with a heart.

As the night went on, Jake didn't like the space between them. He resented it. They were close, but not close enough for him. So Jake lay his daughter on his chest, and pulled Haley close to his side, and they slept that way. Together. All of them. All night.

Jenny hadn't woke, not once.

When Jake opened his eyes it was to the sun. He was still holding his daughter. He was still holding Haley. And for awhile longer, Jake just lay there thinking. There was no easy way around this. He had a daughter, and Jenny would never become second. He smiled. Haley. She loved him. He loved her. They were just kids, but that didn't mean that they still didn't have something real, right?

Well, he wasn't about to just sit back and do nothing when he had his own way of making thing official. Jake left his girls sleeping and made his way home. His parents were sitting at the breakfast table with his sister Kady. Jake was half-way up the steps before he stopped.

"_Why don't you go check on them, babe?"_

"Mom" He called over his shoulder. It was a beat before she answered.

"Yes?"

"I love you." She was silent for another second then she said, "I know."

Upstairs in his room, Jake snatched his lettermen from the foot of his bed. Rushing from his room, he jogged down the hallway. He was at the top of the stairs before the froze to a stop.

Because standing at the bottom was Haley Marion James, and her eyes were spitting fire.


	3. Chapter 3

Just Next Door

An OTH Jaley Short

By AlexB

-Three-

She wanted to know just who the Sam Hill Jake Jagielski thought he was. If she expected to just walk away after telling her that he loved her then holding her all night, the he was sadly mistaken. He had another thing coming.

"You'd better have a damn good reason for leaving me this morning, Jagielski."

He knew that he shouldn't have smiled, but Jake couldn't help it. Haley James was ready for war.

"I know that I told you that I liked coming after you, but don't make running away from me a habit."

"Yes ma'am."

Her eyes narrowed. "Don't you patronize me, Jake Jagielski." She told him. "I'd hate to have to punch you in the nose, but it may be the only way to make you see reason."

"I see it."

Haley didn't like the way that sounded. "Then what's changed?"

"Nothing." He told her. "Everything is exactly the same."

She frowned. "Then what's the problem?"

"I'm a seventeen year old father." Jake told her. "I go to school, I play basketball, and I take care of my child. I don't have much time for a personal life. I'm not complaining, but it's not fair to you."

"You just let me worry about what's fair to me." She said in an almost hurt tone of voice. "I love that little girl, and fully understand that you come as a package deal. I'm not some little empty headed twit who expects you to spend every waking moment under me. I have a life too. I want Jenny in it. And I want you in it. But not as my friend. As my guy." When he said nothing to that, she added, "Jake, there is no going back."

"I know."

"Then why-"

"I told myself all of that." Jake went on. "There is no going back, and I don't want to. I was determined that we were going to stay just friends. I told myself that I would rather have you in my life as my friend or not at all. But then I kissed you-"

_"Damn right."_

He blushed from the tips of his ears to his earlobes but went on. "I knew that you and I would never be the same again. I love you, Haley."

"I love you, too."

"That's all that matters."

She crooked a finger at him. "Prove it."

He hadn't meant to give a speech at the top of the steps, but he was glad, that in the end, he had. He never would have been able to say all that he needed to with her standing so close.

He met her at the bottom of the stairs, and Haley took over. He was seriously liking having the girl make the first move.

_His girl._

After ending a kiss that went on not nearly long enough to suit either of them, Haley spoke against his lips. "I promised your daughter that her daddy would push her on the swings. My way of making it up to her for waking her up this morning..

Sounded like a plan. He nodded. "Go on and get things started. I'll meet you out there." Haley left him with a promise that she would come after him if he took too long. Jake made sure that he didn't.

When he found them, Haley and Jenny were sitting in the grass playing with the puppy that his dad had gotten Jenny for her almost birthday. When the looked up, they were both smiling.

He sat down next to them and watched. Then, before he could loose his nerve, Jake took the cross from around his neck and put it around Haley's pulling her hair carefully out of the chain when he was done.

"Wha?"

"I want you to have this." He murmured to her.

"But Jake."

"My dad said to give it to someone special."

She chuckled. "Guess he wasn't talking about your daughter."

He smiled. "No."

From the window in the kitchen, Isabelle Jagielski watched with a smile on her face, and tears in her eyes. With his arms around her waist, her husband Peter pressed a kiss into her hair.

"See," the woman smiled now smugly. "All they needed was a little push."


End file.
